Ginger-infused truffles

K and I don’t really do Valentine’s Day. At most, we’ll give each other a card, some flowers or a box of chocolates. In the early years of dating, we went out to dinner or had an intimate meal at home paired with an incredible bottle of wine. But this year, I'm on a mission to celebrate all traditions and create new ones — even if the excuse is a made-up holiday. I figured there’s no sweeter way to say “I appreciate ya, boo!” than with some rolled truffles. This recipe is adapted from Recchiuti’s Force Noir, the chocolate maker’s signature truffles. I infused mine with ginger instead of their classic vanilla to give it a little spice kick. You can use your favorite dark chocolate for this, but of course, I recommend going with Valrhona or the Recchiuti bittersweet bar. One note: Recchiuiti said it has tried every substitution, and corn syrup still yields the best results. I know it’s a controversial ingredient, but there are non-GMO brands, like Wholesome Sweet. If you need a little more guidance on how to make and roll these, check out our photoshoot with Mr. Michael Ricchiuti himself. 

MAKES ABOUT 50 TRUFFLES

INGREDIENTS

½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup, plus 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups dark chocolate, finely chopped
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Your choice of toppings

INSTRUCTIONS

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside.

In a small sauce pot over medium heat, add the heavy whipping cream, corn syrup and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it has reached a boil, remove from heat and cover the pan.

Let the mixture steep for about 20 minutes to infuse the cream with the ginger flavor. (If you want it to be even more gingery, let it steep longer — it could go overnight, if you’d like.) Meanwhile, melt the chocolate.

Place the chocolate in a medium stainless-steel or glass mixing bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts to about 115ºF.

Strain the ginger-infused cream and corn syrup mixture into the chocolate. Discard the ginger solid. Whisk the cream and chocolate together thoroughly until it’s all combined. The ganache will thicken, become slightly less shiny, and develop a pudding-like consistency. Then add butter and whisk until it’s all incorporated.

Pour the ganache into the lined pan. Spread the ganache as evenly as possible with a small spatula. Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature until it has set, 2 to 4 hours. Then, cover the pan and refrigerate until you are ready to roll the truffles.

Rolling the Truffles
(We did a step-by-step photo tutorial with Recchiuti here!)

Remove the ganache from the pan and transfer it onto a cutting board or other work surface. Remove all plastic wrap or parchment paper. Cut the ganache into 1-inch squares with a knife dipped in hot water. Be sure the knife is dry before each cut and wiped clean after each cut.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and prepare the truffle toppings in individual bowls. (I did  candied pecans, sesame and candied ginger and matcha powder).

Dust your palms with cocoa powder. One at a time, pick up a ganache square, roll it into a ball between your palms, and drop it into the toppings bowl of your choice. After you have made about 6 truffles per bowl of ingredients, shake the bowl to cover the round truffles completely.

Using a spoon, transfer the truffles to the lined parchment pan. Continue rolling until you have used all the ganache.

Serve the truffles soon after rolling them at room temperature. If you’re not eating them immediately, you can store the truffles in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a plastic bag or covered bowl.